King
by blueabyss16
Summary: Natsume Hyuuga, the king of the North. Mikan Sakura, a runaway from the South. A king crowned at an early age, known for his cruelty. A runaway forced to seek refuge and hide the truth. Both are different individuals, yet eerily similar. Both try to ignore the presence of the other... proving it difficult—feeling the temperature rise whenever they just so much as meet eyes.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Mikan ran as fast as she can, holding the wispy skirt of her dress, letting the trail billow behind her. She was fairly aware of her braids slowly coming undone, her tears flowing and wetting her cheeks and neck, but she couldn't care less. What she needed now was to run.

She needed to survive. She needed to survive for her mother. She needed to survive for the other girls who sacrificed themselves just so she could run away.

Mikan didn't mind the scratches, the itchiness; she didn't mind that she was missing one shoe, she didn't mind that her once white dress is now smudged with mud. A little more effort and she would be out of the Persona territory.

"There she is!"

No! Just a little bit more! God, just a bit—

"I can see her!"

3 meters.

"She's heading North!"

2 meters.

"You can try and grab her dress!"

1 meter.

"An intruder from the Southern borders! Don't move, hands behind your head!"

Mikan stopped running and heaved, letting herself be pulled by the Northern border patrolers. She raised her hands and placed her palms behind her head. She can feel Persona's soldiers retreating.

It's fine now. She's finally out of the Persona territory.

Somebody pushed her forward and she came face to face with a man in uniform.

"I don't usually go out here to the borders," the man said, pushing back his dirty blond hair, "but something tells me you can be useful to us. I'm Kokoro Yome, and I'm going to be the one doing the honor of welcoming you into the Hyuuga territory."

* * *

**A/N: HEY GUYS! MOMMA BLUE IS BACK! IF YOU GUYS HAVEN'T NOTICED, I WAS GONE FOR, LIKE, 2 YEARS. TO EXPLAIN MYSELF, I HAD SOME SORT OF BURNOUT THING WHEREIN IT'S NOT JUST WRITER'S BLOCK. I LITERALLY THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING UP WRITING BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE UNIVERSITY SQUEEZED ALL THE CREATIVITY OUT OF ME. BUT FOR SOME MIRACULOUS REASON, JUST YESTERDAY (03/19/19) IDEAS FLOWED IN MY HEAD. IT WAS LIKE DRINKING WATER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT! I WOULD BE WRITING THIS UNTIL I REACH A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS BEFORE I CONTINUE THE DAYS I REMEMBERED. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS AS MUCH AS YOU DID MY OTHER WORKS, AND I HOPE YOU FEEL THE THINGS I'M WORKING SO HARD TO MAKE YOU GUYS FEEL.**

**P.S. I WAS ACTUALLY INSPIRED BY THIS SONG "YOU CAN BE KING AGAIN" WHILE I WAS PICKING A SONG FOR ME TO TRANSLATE IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE. SO IF YOU GUYS HAVEN'T HEARD ABOUT IT YET, I SUGGEST YOU TRY TO LISTEN TO IT.**


	2. Hazel and Ruby

**KING**

Mikan had lost track of time. Has it been minutes? Hours? Days? No, she's sure it hasn't been days. Well, not that it mattered anyway. At least she's safer here than in the South.

She felt small. The cell she was held in was small. It was a room just enough for a cot, and a space where she can pace around. But she wasn't doing any pacing at the moment. The man who called himself Kokoro Yome was sitting on a steel chair outside the cell. The bars were thick but she can still see him clearly. He leaned forward, his elbows resting upon his knees, one hand holding his uniform cap. And his face… his face looked like he was trying to solve her. Like he was studying her.

At this moment, Mikan started to wonder. What was this man's alice? Is he trying to assess her? Is he thinking of what punishment to give her? Her eyes moved to the other three men with him. They were looking at her too.

Mikan felt herself tremble. They weren't really terrible, these people. Nobody really tried to speak to her as they pushed her to the _castle dungeons, _as they called it. However, she didn't like how these men stared at her. She felt naked. This was a new territory, with new people with different alices. This also meant they do not trust her. Who would trust a trespasser, anyway?

Mikan thought of her friends and family, and that maybe… maybe if these people decide to kill her, then it would be best. If that happens then there would be no more dealing with her wretched alice. No one would want to use her anymore.

There was a sudden banging of metal to stone, and Mikan almost jumped out of her skin. Heavy footsteps echoed, and the already cold temperature in the dungeons seemed to drop lower. Mikan wanted to cry. She's so scared—she's terrified. She's in the North. She's inside the territory where trespassers are really frowned upon. She's on the land of the king whom she only heard gossips and stories shared by travelers. And those stories and gossips never spoke of anything good about the king.

The footsteps sounded nearer until they stopped in front of her cell. Kokoro Yome stood up and saluted to the newcomer, but Mikan didn't dare look up. Something was telling her it would be a bad idea to do that.

-;-

Crown Prince Natsume Hyuuga was crowned King when he was fifteen—the youngest in his family's history. And as king he is always seen—depicted—as regal. The picture of a textbook king. His eyes are always calculating and sharp, his jaw proud, his hair always perfect, his footsteps quiet, his back straight—making his already tall stature look taller.

King Natsume Hyuuga was forced to be a king at age fifteen. He was forced to grow up and take immediate responsibility for his people, for his land. And thus, he was forced to stop feeling; he was forced to stop making mistakes. He was forced to become cruel and unforgiving, all for the sake of his people.

Until ten years later, it became normal for him. The practiced expressions, the indifference, the cruelty… all of those clung to him like second skin now.

But tonight's event was a different case.

Natsume's footsteps were heavy as he hurried down to the castle dungeon. He could literally feel the vein on his neck throbbing. He gave his soldiers one job—one, simple job—and that is to guard the borders. He gave them that one easy task of making sure _no one—_not one living _thing—_would be able to trespass illegally into his land.

The castle workers ducked, not meeting his ruby eyes as they seemed to glimmer more dangerously. The workers now know what will happen next. Nobody really ever survives King Natsume's wrath.

He pushed the metal door of the dungeons forward, letting it collide with the stone wall. Inside was one of his generals and some of his men. He approached them, the general and his soldiers stood up straight and saluted him.

"My King," General Kokoro Yome greeted quietly.

"Report."

"We have nothing on her, Sire. We have no data of her fingerprints or her DNA in our database, meaning she has no relative in our kingdom."

"Is that all we know," Natsume inquired. "Do we have a name?"

The general's eyes wavered for a moment before he shook his head.

Natsume's expression hardened before glancing at the huddled figure on the cot. "How long has it been, Koko?"

"An hour, Sire."

Natsume's jaw hardened, "You had an hour, and still you get nothing?!"

"Sire, she wouldn't speak."

"Then use your goddamn Alice!"

"I have!" Koko suddenly burst. "For the past hour, I have been trying, and still reap no results." The young general sighed, hair fringes falling in front if his eyes. "Sire, I think she might be blocking me."

Natsume stood straighter. He stepped forward, "You."

-;-

Hearing the word, Mikan looked up slowly. Hazel eyes met ruby orbs. The color mesmerized her; it was an enigma. How can someone have that kind of—Mikan froze. She tried to remember the stories she heard. The rumors the other girls at her village talked about…

_The king of the North had crimson eyes. Legends say that the Hyuuga clan were direct descendants of the ancient dragons, thus their eyes and their fire Alice._

_We heard he was supposedly very handsome. A tad bit proud, but handsome._

_His majesty's hair was one of his most distinguishable features. It was as dark as a raven's feathers. it looked as soft as the finest silk._

Mikan's breathing hitched, and she immediately bowed her head. She refused to look at him. The act of looking directly at his eyes, especially by a trespasser like her, was punishable by caning.

"Look at me." The rich, silvery voice sent shivers down Mikan's spine. Mikan could do nothing but obey.

Once again, their eyes met, but this time her eyes were starting to blur from the tears she's trying to hold. And Natsume… Natsume is wondering why he is feeling warmth in this cold place.

"What is your purpose for trespassing?" the king asked, his eyes studying hers.

"I… I didn't mean to trespass," she whispered.

"Oh, you didn't mean to?" Natsume mocked before he started pacing, but still keeping his eyes on her, "Is this what the South has been up to? Training little girls how to cry, so they can cry their way out to get information. Is that correct?"

Mikan started to stand. "I swear I didn't mean to! Believe me, please!"

He scoffed and looked down at the short girl. "Why would I believe a spy from the South?"

"I am not a spy! Please, Sire, believe me!"

"Liar!" Natsume bellowed. "And do not call me that. You are not my subject."

"I am not a liar! I am not a spy!" Mikan ran forward with tears in her eyes, wanting the king to see her clearly, but the steel bars separated them. So, she gripped two vertical bars tight in her small hands and tiptoed. "I'm not a spy! I was running away from South's soldiers! I was running away to save myself and I accidentally entered your land! I was headed for the East but I had no time to navigate because Persona's men were nearing, so I had no choice but to go into your territory!"

Mikan sniffed, her tears continuously falling like waterfalls. This time, she spoke softly. "I had no choice but to go here," Mikan broke her gaze from the king's and looked at the general. "If I hadn't gone here then his men would have caught me. They would use me for their own personal gain, and my family and friends' sacrifice would be in vain."

The king blinked calmly, still studying this crying girl in the cell. It was Koko who broke the silence.

"Who was this Persona you were talking about? Why would he use you? What for?"

"That's what the elders in my village call South's king," Mikan sniffed. "He found out about our minority group residing in a small area in the Northern part of the South." She looked up at the man, "He said he will use us against you. He said once he captures all of us, he would wage war on the other kingdoms."

The silence that came after was deafening. King Natsume turned and left, but the general stayed for a minute to hand her some food and water.

Mikan slumped to the floor and hugged her knees as the metal doors creaked and slammed close.


	3. The North

**KING**

Days went by and Mikan has nothing to do so she decided to count them. No, she can't see the sun, but she did count the times they gave her anything to eat, and the times they let her go to the toilet.

It had become a routine for her. Wake up, stare at the stone ceiling. Breakfast, stare at the stone wall. Lunch, try to take a nap. Dinner, stare at the stone wall until they let her go to the toilet. Toss and turn on the lumpy mattress and try to turn herself in a cocoon using the blanket they gave her before falling asleep. Repeat.

It was boring, Mikan won't deny that. She misses her old village. She misses her mother. She misses her friends and the children in the village.

As she rubbed her hands all over her arms, she can't help but realize that the North was so cold… way different than the South. The pretty dress that she usually wears in the hot weather of the South is useless in the North's cold winds. The stone walls weren't helping her case either. Why they decided to give her a blanket as protection, she still didn't know. A prisoner didn't deserve such treatment.

And so, her eyes closed, dreaming of the sun and the smell of dewy grass from her home.

-:-

If there is one thing a Northerner should know about Hotaru Imai, it is that she is a marvelous innovator. A brilliant inventor and businesswoman at her age.

She was the woman behind the technological advancement of the Hyuuga Territory. When Natsume was crowned king, she proposed her plans. And for some reason, Natsume trusted her enough to let her lead the project that made the North the most developed kingdom.

And if there is another thing a Northerner should know about Hotaru Imai, it is that she is actually cousins with the king. Well, cousin once removed.

And though she and the king might be related, she absolutely hates it whenever he tries to make her do something aside form work. She still promised she'd do it, though. In exchange for money.

As she stared at the figure laying on the cot behind the metal bars, Hotaru can't help but think why Natsume was so interested in this girl. The girl must have felt her stare because she suddenly stirred before she sat fully erect, her head whipping to the right, unfocused eyes trying to see her.

"Ah, I see you're alive," Hotaru's quiet voice was somehow still heard by the girl.

"Yes," the girl covered her mouth as she yawned. "Everyday they make sure that I'm still breathing."

Hotaru raised a brow. She had a feeling she's going to like this girl.

"My name is Hotaru Imai."

The girl blinked twice, as if assessing her words. "I'm… Mikan Sakura."

Hotaru's lips twitched lightly. Ah, the sweet smell of victory and money. The name that Natsume and the kingdom's security has been searching for a week now, she got it in just a span of minutes.

"Hello, Mikan," Hotaru greeted quietly. "Are you a fan of baths? Or is a shower enough?"

Looking at Mikan Sakura now, Hotaru still wonders what was so special about her. She took Mikan into her own house, letting her take a shower and then running her a bath, before providing her with clothes. She was pretty that's for sure. Her long auburn hair that was once matted in a braid is now combed, her natural curls framing her heart-shaped face. Clad in jeans, jacket, and boots, Mikan looked like a pretty normal citizen of the North. Aside from her button nose that was a distinct physical trait of a Southerner, she could easily roam the Northerner streets and people won't even look twice.

"So what do you do in the South?" Hotaru tried to make small talk.

"What?"

"Did you have a job? You're what? Twenty-two?"

Mikan smiled. "Twenty-three actually. And, yes, I did. I'm a nurse. I used to help my mother, who was a midwife, help other women give birth in our village."

Hotaru nodded before a comfortable silence ensued.

"Pray forgive me, Miss Hotaru?"

"Just Hotaru"

"Yes, uhh, Hotaru... thank you for the clothes." Mikan smiled sincerely, "They are not what I'm used to wearing, but I really appreciate them."

Hotaru cocked an eyebrow. Huh, the girl was polite. "It's nothing. And why were you even wearing a dress in this climate? And one that is made of tulle? Didn't you know that it's always cold up here in the North?"

"I…" Mikan started before sighing, her eyes downcast. "It's what we usually wear in the South, or at least in our village. It only really ever gets cold there when it's winter. You won't even know that autumn came if not for when the leaves fall."

Mikan anxiously combed her fingers through her hair. "And… I really wasn't planning on going here. I was supposed to head to the Trade Road and enter the East."

"Why the East?" Hotaru inquired, handing Mikan a black scarf.

Mikan took the scarf and smiled in gratitude. "The East is usually more welcoming of immigrants. Especially ones that are running away from abusive people."

Hotaru said nothing at that. She motioned for Mikan to stand and follow her. She instructed her to get the car, and the hazel-eyed girl wordlessly complied.

"I will be completely honest, Mikan," Hotaru said after she fastened her seatbelt. "I'm going to bring you to the testing unit next. We will have to get your blood sample and test you if you are someone valuable to be kept here."

"B-but… what if I'm not valuable enough? What's going to happen to me?"

Hotaru looked away from the doe-like eyes. All she did was spend a couple of hours with this girl and now she's starting to sympathize with her. "Because of your record for trespassing… caning, if you're lucky. Death, if you're not."

Mikan released a shaky breath before facing forward and closing her eyes tightly. To be able to come up with such punishments… King Natsume Hyuuga was indeed as cruel as the tales say.

-;-

Mikan tried not to tremble as she walked along this pristine, white hallway that smelled strangely of like bleach behind Hotaru. Everybody here seemed to know her as every employee bowed their heads to greet them.

Hotaru said the procedure would be quick. She would just sit for a couple of minutes, and then it will be over. They would find out what her alice is. The best she could do now is to plead for a peaceful life, away from talks of war and her having a useful role in them.

Her thoughts were cut short when Hotaru pulled a door open and motioned for her to enter first.

The first thing that Mikan could think of was that this man seated behind a desk, whose hair was like a prince's looked exactly that—a prince. This man was handsome.

Prince Charming stood up from the chair behind his desk and smiled so brightly, Mikan swears she's gone blind for a moment. Oh, god, Prince Charming was starting to walk towards them

Mikan had to blink when Prince Charming continued walking a bit to her left, with his arms open, towards Hotaru.

"I swear to god if you kiss me in front of my guest, Nogi, I will castrate you."

Mikan whipped her head to look at Hotaru so hard she would've gotten a whiplash. She was about to open her mouth to speak, but Hotaru beat her to it.

"Mikan, this is Dr. Ruka Nogi. He was appointed as the department of health's chairman three years ago." Hotaru gave the man a fleeting glance. "And I've been dating him for the past two years… unfortunately."

"Yeah, but you tolerate me."

"Nogi, shut the fuck up."

Ruka chuckled before offering his hand to Mikan for a shake. "Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Ruka."

Mikan reluctantly shook his hand. "I'm Mikan."

"Ah. The trespasser?"

Mikan winced. "Pray forgive me, sir, but I would really appreciate it if you won't call me that."

Ruka smiled, "Of course. I'm sorry." He, then, beckoned for her to follow him. Hotaru nodded encouragingly at her, so she just followed the doctor. He led towards the west wing, to a room that smelled like the rest of the hospital.

Ruka had her sit on this comfortable chair, asking her to lean back but sit straight. He instructed her to put both her hands, palms down, on top of the table and to look straight ahead.

"Wait, you're leaving me here?"

Ruka smiled, and she can't help but think that, for some reason, his smile is actually very comforting. "Just a moment, I will come back. You have to be alone for this. Now, no matter what happens, just look ahead and don't move."

Ruka left and Mikan did just exactly what she was told.

Though, a couple of minutes in, she started to get bored. Then, the bright flash of light came without warning, and was immediately gone. Mikan started blinking fast and her first instinct was to rub her eyes, but the prickling sensation came next. There were needles pricking all ten of her fingers, then the next, her blood was quickly being drawn.

Mikan was breathing heavily when Ruka entered the room, holding a container on one hand, and a brown envelope on the other.

"What the heck just happened?" Mikan asked, looking around, letting her eyes adjust and focus.

Ruka chuckled as he held Mikan's left hand. He started to clean the residue of blood on her fingers, putting a small bandage on each of the small punctures before doing the same to her right.

"The tests were finished."

"That's it?"

Ruka helped her stand. "Yes. Our technology here in the North is way more advance than the other kingdoms. All we need is a sample of your blood and your picture."

"Wait, so that blinding light is the flash of a camera?"

"Not just any camera. It was developed by Hotaru. I'm not that knowledgeable about technology to be able to explain it to you thoroughly, but what I do know is that it is able to accurately give us information about you."

Mikan looked up, finally seeing clearly. "What about me? What kind of information?" She was starting to get nervous. What if they use that information against her?

"Everything. Your alice, where you came from, or other things like that."

"And you can use that against me." Mikan said, as if talking to herself. She looked up, her eyes searching his clear, blue ones. "Will you use that against me?"

Ruka smiled sadly. The best he could do now is to be honest, "No. Not unless we have to."

-;-

Natsume knew there was something about that Southern girl. What it was, he wasn't so sure yet. But there was something about the girl that makes him want to do things to her. Things that might include torture. Or, perhaps, more.

Now, as he is seated at the round table, along with the other nine he people he trusted, he stared at the brown envelope in his hands. Altogether, they opened their envelopes, and read the encoded results printed on the paper:

**THE FOLLOWING RESULTS ARE UNDISCLOSABLE INFORMATION**

**NAME: MIKAN SAKURA**

**AGE: 23 YEARS OLD**

**SEX: FEMALE**

**BLOOD TYPE: A**

**OCCUPATION: NURSE**

**ALICE: NULLIFICATION**

"Well, isn't that a pretty useless alice?"

Natsume looked up and glared at the woman who was appointed as head of the police force. Sumire Shouda has always been snooty. She has always been someone who looked at other people down her nose. And the king has always been tolerating her since he grew up with her along with the other people in this room.

But for reason, Natsume didn't like the way she talked about the stranger.

"Didn't she say the South's king has been after her and her village for their alice?" Koko spoke up before Natsume could even try to burn Sumire's hair.

The king's eyes went to the head of the military force. "Yes, she did."

"What about her alice?" Hotaru looked up.

Koko shrugged. "She said something about the South's king being after their alice and using it against us."

Natsume looked at all of his subjects before speaking, "Yome, I want you, Harada, and Andou to look into this. But for the meantime, I want Imai to find a place where she can stay."

Misaki Harada smiled widely, and Tsubasa Andou grinned at her. For some reason, Natsume already knew those two would do so much more than what was asked.

Hotaru snorted and rolled her eyes. "Screw looking for a place, I'd have her live with me."

Natsume glared long and hard at the woman before she smirked. "It's non-negotiable, Your Majesty."

Natsume ran his fingers through his hair before sighing. He may be king, but what his cousin wants, his cousin gets. "Ruka," he called his best friend, the only person he thinks is sane enough in this room to actually do exactly what he says.

"Yes, my king?" the greeting was formal, but the blonde's eyes were twinkling with mirth, clearly not really using the title to call his best friend.

Natsume's left eye twitched. "Make sure she lands a job."

Ruka grinned, while the rest of the room cocked their heads to look at him.

"I don't want any more questions. Adjourned."

God, Natsume swears she already hates this Mikan woman. She's making things difficult.

* * *

**A/N: HELLOOOO! I'VE READ YOUR REVIEWS FOR THE PROLOGUE AND CHAPTER 1, AND I COULDN'T GET ANY HAPPIER. YOU GUYS MOTIVATE ME! I SWEAR I WAS SO SCARED AFTER I POSTED THE CHAPTERS, BECAUSE I THOUGHT NO ONE WOULD WANT TO READ THIS, BUT I ALMOST CRIED AFTER SEEING YOUR POSITIVE FEEDBACKS. I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER, LOVES. THANK YOU SO MUCH.**

**ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I PLANNED THIS STORY TO BE RATED M. BUT SINCE IT'S STILL GOING TO TAKE A FEW CHAPTERS BEFORE THE ACTUAL CRACK-A-LACKIN' TO HAPPEN, I'M KEEPING THIS AT RATED T. NOW, I'M TELLING YOU, I'M AN ADULT WHO CAN TRY TO WRITE THE STEAMY-ASS SCENES, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE TEENAGERS (OR ADULTS) SO I WON'T RECOMMEND IT IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT.**

**SO YEAH, IF YOU CAN'T FIND THIS STORY IN THE RATED K+/T SECTION, IT'S PROBABLY ALREADY IN THE RATED M SECTION. **

**P.S. I'M NOT EVEN SURE IF "UNDISCLOSABLE" IS REAL WORD XD**

**P.P.S. MAIINIT NA DITO SA BAGUIO, FRIENDS**

_**IN THIS SEGMENT I WILL TRY TO REPLY TO YOUR REVIEWS, SO I COULD HAVE SOME SORT OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOU GUYS :)))**_

**STORY REVIEWS:**

DreamingReverie: thank you so so much! i've really been trying since i havent been writing for the past 2 years. so seeing that you think i still wrote them in character, really warms my heart.

SunBabyBoss: thank you so much!

Etoile Polaire: thank you for liking this! i really want to do this AU justice and show more of that kingdom-esque, but modern vibes. here is a chapter for you :)

Guest: yes, it is i, momma blue! i posted because i was procrastinating instead of reviewing for midterms hahahaha. but yes i posted because i got a bit excited xD

b12vitamins: ito na oh nag-update na! xD

boo: yes, i am back! and yes it is intense xD tho i'm afraid that i won't live up to the intense-ness of the prologue to the next chapters. i'm still regaining my footing.


	4. Duty

**KING**

Natsme hasn't really been counting, but he was sure it had been a month now since the Southern girl was accepted into the North. She was offered a job at the Capital's hospital, and, so far, the king has been hearing nothing but good news about her and her work ethics.

Ruka kept on talking about her one time, during brunch, saying she was such a hardworking girl. He said that Mikan told him that she graduated from the nursing school in the town next to her village, and shyly admitted that the only working experience she had was in their village's clinic and her mother's birthing clinic.

"Natsume, the children love her!" Ruka exclaimed, his face gleeful and ecstatic. "She's not even a pedia nurse, but she has this certain charm over kids."

But the king only rolled his eyes. He should be contented that the woman was doing something useful and contributing to them, but he really can't understand what was it about her that irritated him.

It must have been the guts, he thought. The way she screamed at him while she was held in that cell, with tears running down her face, almost hysterical as she told him her side of the story. How she pleaded for him to listen to her. Her red cheeks. The droplets of sweat on her forehead, her neck, and her chest. And how her soft, little gasps… sounded like… something he shouldn't even be thinking about.

He shook his head to go back at thee the task at hand. As king of such a big territory, he needed to check up on his lands and his people. He can't do it alone, though. It was time consuming and exhausting, and the royal court doesn't want to compromise his safety. So, he sends different envoys and ambassadors to go to the places which His Majesty cannot go to. They report to him at the end of each month, and from there on, he and his court members work on what needed to be done.

At the moment, the king is in the Capital, and he took it upon himself to check everything. Early this morning, he went to the department of education and met with the head he appointed to the position. They talked about funds and the preparations for the start of the new school year. Next, he went to the military academy, meeting with his other generals, making sure that the cadets will be doing their best for their motherland. The meetings went on until the sky darkened, and the sun left the horizon.

He did so much more than what was stated in his agenda that he almost found himself dragging his feet to his last stop: the hospital.

Ruka said he would be with him after an hour since he was currently in an emergency operation, which, according to the doctor, has been ongoing since ten this morning. One of the patients who had brain tumor suddenly had seizures, and the other neurosurgeons were attending to the patients from a messy traffic accident in the next city over that their station hospital can no longer be able to attend to some of their patients. They victims wee immediately ran to the Capital, where the biggest hospital of the North was stationed. So, Ruka took it upon himself to see to the brain tumor patient's operation, which has been ongoing for nine hours now.

Natsume and his entourage were waiting in the hospital lobby, sitting on the plush couch. The king watched his subjects—the children, the elderly, the men and women. And his subjects watched him. This has been one of the most casual the public has seen him in the few times he wished to be seen. His white shirt was crisp, sleeves folded up to his elbows. His pants fitted his toned legs. And his leather shoes were free of dirt.

Yet there was something ironic about their king. For someone who was supposedly a descendant of the dragons and wields the fire alice, he sure is cold.

He pulled out his phone and typed a message to Hotaru, asking her for the bi-monthly report of their joint business. However, there was something that caught his attention.

Perhaps, it was because of the way he was positioned, facing the elevators, but there was something that urged him to look up. And when he did, the exact woman he had been unreasonably loathing came out of the elevator doors, still wearing her scrub suit, with blood on one of the sleeves, and her purple surgical cap. She looked calm yet frantic, as she ran towards the east wing of the hospital. Moments later, she briskly walked to the elevator, this time holding a small cooler, that Natsume recognizes as one for carrying blood bags. Looking once more at her surgical cap, he concluded that Ruka must have chosen her as one of his scrub nurses. He remembered Ruka telling him that lover boy will make his scrub nurses and assisting doctors wear purple surgical caps because _"they were the color of Hotaru's eyes."_

He fought the urge to roll his eyes as one nurse approached him, maintaining the needed distance, and bowed. "My king, Dr. Nogi instructed us to tell you that you can now wait in his office. He said his operation is almost finished."

Natsume nodded in gratitude and stood up.

-;-

"You were amazing back there, Mikan!"

Mikan couldn't help but blush at the compliment from her superior. She begged to disagree. She only did what she was supposed to do.

"I didn't cry until I was almost dehydrated and almost kill myself from drinking so much coffee in nursing school just to stand idle inside the operating room." Mikan shrugged as she scrubbed and washed her hands and arms beside Dr. Nogi outside the operating room.

"Ah, yes, speaking of coffee. Hotaru left two bags of pure coffee beans for you. It's in my office. Would you like to come with me before you head to the nurses' ward?" Ruka pulled a towel from the towel rack and started drying his hands and arms. "She said she would give it to you personally, but she had urgent business matters to attend to. She'd be home tomorrow morning."

Mikan giggled as they started to make their way to Ruka's office.

"When she found out about my love for coffee, she placed a bowl of roasted coffee beans in my room," Mikan shared. "She said it might help me relax and feel at home since I'm going to be stuck with her for a long time."

Ruka pushed the door to his office open, and Mikan can't stop the gasp that slipped out of her lips and the jump that was unnoticed by both Ruka and the king.

"Hey, Natsume," Ruka greeted casually with a smile, while the king only nodded. "You know Mikan, right?"

As his eyes cast over to her, Natsume can't help but notice how the smile she had been wearing when she was with Ruka, disappeared. She also noticed how her wrapped around her stomach, as if protecting herself from possible danger. She also suddenly felt warm… warmer than before. Was Dr. Nogi's heater setting on high?

He felt Ruka touch his elbow and lean in to whisper, "Cut her some slack, yeah? Don't bully her."

"What is she doing here?" His voice came out rougher than intended, and the woman visibly flinched, her neck almost straining because of how much her head was bowed.

Ruka glared at his best friend, "_Mikan_ is here to get Hotaru's gift. And _Mikan _deserves to be given as much respect from you as what you give your subjects. She is _your _subject now, my king."

The doctor quickly went to his desk and opened a drawer. He pulled out carefully wrapped box with a beautiful purple bow on top of it. He brushed past the king and towards the shivering nurse and handed her the present. He quickly whispered his apologies. He asked her if she wanted him to walk her to the nurses' ward but she shook her head no. She looked up to the imposing figure of the king from beneath her lashes. The warmth she was feeling spiked up a bit higher. She quickly looked at her white shoes once more before bowing to him and turning around to leave the room.

"What," Ruka growled as he turned to face his friend, "the fuck is wrong with you?"

The king just eyed the fuming blond before uncrossing his arms. "There is nothing wrong with me."

Ruka put his hand on his hip, the other ruffling his hair, and closed his eyes. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, as if calming himself before turning to face his friends. His blue eyes cold and accusing. "If you can't respect her because of some _unknown reason,_ which we both know is just your overinflated ego, I swear to god, Natsume."

He walked around behind his desk to drape his doctor's coat behind his office chair. His azure eyes still meeting crimson ones as he said, "Before you are my king, you are my friend first. So I'm telling you, Natsume, if you can't accept her as one of our people yet, then at least respect because she is now _our _asset. I still don't understand why or how, but it's because of her that we have advantage against the South."

The king's eyes never wavered, though. He only blinked once, and then the next, his friend is now sitting on his chair, looking tired. "It's not because of my _overinflated ego_, Ruka." Natsume smirked as he sat on one of the leather chairs facing the doctor, "I respect her as much as I respect the other person, but there is something about her that just rubs me the wrong way."

Ruka raised a blond brow and cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure it's not just your libido?"

Natsume's eyes widened and his lips curled in a snarl. "I am _sure _it is not my libido, asshole. Now let's talk about reports."

Ruka chuckled as he pulled out a brown envelop from his desk drawer, but Natsume just ignored him.

The king was definitely sure it wasn't his libido.

Definitely.

* * *

**A/N: IT STARTS TO GET STEAMY FROM HERE! (I MEAN... I'D TRY) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. STARTING NEXT EPISODE, I'D JUST PUT THE RATING ON TOP BEFORE THE TITLE AND THE STORY PROPER SO Y'ALL WON'T GET SHOOKT HAHAHAHAHA**

**REVIEWS!**

_Boo: YES BBY THERE'S GONNA BE CRACK-A-LACKIN HAHAHAHA CHAOTIC CONFUSED NATSUME IS WHAT'S GONNA DRIVE THE PLOT OF THIS STORY HAHAHA_

_SunBabyBoss: THANK YOU SO MUCH!_

_Oemjee: HELLO! I LOVE U TOO! AND YES, I WILL DEFINITELY CONTINUE THIS STORY SINCE I HAVE ANOTHER STORY THAT I HAVE TO FINISH HAHAHA_

_DalagamPilipinye: SIZMARZ HANDA NA RIN AKONG ISULAT AND ISANG NATSUME NA NAGLALANDI HAHAHAHAAHA_

_Guest: HELLO ^_^ YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WHAT YOU SAID MEANS TO ME. IT REALLY MAKES ME HAPPY KNOWING I MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU UNWIND FROM A STRESSFUL DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M LITERALLY CRYING RN_

_Embarr123: THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING MY DOUBTS! I REALLY LOVE FRIENDS LIKE YOU HAHAHA _

_EchizenRyoma: HMMMMM I THINK? I STILL HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE STORY TO BE HONEST. I DO HAVE THE "BACKBONE" OF THE STORY PAT DOWN THO SO MAYBE I CAN STILL PUT SOME THINGS INTO DETAIL WITHOUT IT AFFECTING THE PLANS I HAVE IN MIND ^_^_

_MG: HELLO HELLO! THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY! I HOPE YOU STAY TUNED FOR MORE OF THE MIKANxNATSUME DYNAMICS ^_^_

_Tiffany19: HELLO! I REALLY DO MISS THE GOOD ONES TOO. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE COMMUNITY, NOVEMBER ROMEO, DUCKY-SAN, AND THE OTHERS WERE STILL ACTIVE. MY FAVORITE GA WRITER IS NOVEMBER ROMEO BECAUSE THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR PROSE AND WRITING STYLE THAT GOT ME HOOKED. THEY WERE AND STILL ARE MY INSPIRATION FOR MY WRITING. AND THANK YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU SAW IN MY WRITING BUT THANK YOU FOR PUTTING SUCH FAITH IN ME ^_^_


	5. Trust

**A/N: RATED M IN THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY. AGAIN, IN THE LATER CHAPTERS THERE WILL BE MORE CRACK-A-LACKIN SO I WILL CHANGE THIS STORY'S RATING. I USUALLY UPDATE EVERY FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY SO IF YOU CAN'T FIND THIS IN THE RATED T SECTION, IT'S MOST PROBABLY IN THE RATED M SECTION.**

* * *

**KING**

Natsume groaned loudly as the woman beneath him whimpered. Her breath came in little gasps that seemed to fuel his fire. The way her cheeks and chest flush had a powerful effect on him, making him put more pressure in his thrust.

But it was the way she scratched him, the way she opened her eyes as she orgasmed, that really had him pressing deeper, until there was no more space between them. He was aware that his full length and girth was slightly hurting her, yet there was something satisfactory about the way she just quietly, submissively took all of him. The roll of tear from her closed eyes made him pause for a moment. And using his thumb, he wiped the lone tear before leaning down to kiss her fully on the lips.

Her eyes opened, revealing the hazel colored orbs he had come to be so familiar with. Her voice shaky as she said, "Why did you stop?"

Natsume woke up from his trance. The voice… the voice wasn't right. He pushed himself up and saw dark brown eyes looking up at him quizzically.

"My king?" The woman inquired.

This was definitely not it.

He swiftly pulled himself out of the woman, removing the rubber latex from his shaft, and then slid his silk robe on. "Get out."

The woman sat up, "Sire, have I done anything wrong? Was I—"

"I said get out!" the king's voice thundered and filled his entire bedchamber. The woman clambered to her feet and gathered her clothes as she ran towards the oakwood doors, but stopping when she heard the king's commanding voice. "A word about this, and I shall have your tongue cut off."

The woman nodded and left the room.

Natsume found himself pacing around his spacious room, sighing loudly, as he raked his fingers through his hair. "What the fuck just happened?"

Why were his eyes playing tricks on him? Of all the people—why Mikan Sakura?!

He paused from his pacing when he felt his manhood harden just by the thought of her.

That's it, he's taking a fucking cold shower!

-;-

Mikan was breathing hard, trying to catch her breath, as if she just ran a mile. She brought a hand up to her forehead to wipe the beads of sweat that formed there, realizing that her entire back was drenched as well. She stood up from her bed and moved her windows' drapes to the side. It's still early, but she supposed it was fine. She would have to go to the hospital earlier than usual, but that meant she could still visit the nursery and look at the babies before her shift.

She turned and made a dash to Hotaru's kitchen to fetch herself some water.

Of all the things that she could dream about, why did it have to be with a certain crimson-eyed king?

Mikan chugged her cold glass of water, but almost choked when the images flashed in her head. She could still remember it vividly. She could still feel the fingers that touched her skin gently, the hands that held onto her hips tightly… with her thighs wide open as the king filled her with his—

"Mikan?"

The glass almost slipped from her hands. "Y-yes?" She gave Hotaru a tight smile, but the inventor noticed her voice shake along with the rest of her body.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

Mikan cleared her throat as she set the glass down on the counter. "Nothing. I just…had a very disturbing dream."

Hotaru studied her friend's face and noticed the tinge of color pink on her cheeks, her eyes looked everywhere but her. She also noticed the bead of sweat forming on top of Mikan's brow.

Huh. Her eyes narrowed but decided to let it go. For now.

"Go sit down, Mikan. I'd prepare breakfast today."

Mikan fought the urge to sigh loudly and nodded. This is going to be a tiresome day.

-;-

General Kokoro Yome grinned as he stepped into the Capital's hospital. He watched as his soldiers neatly formed their lines before all of them marched towards the ER. He knew there were station hospitals in their military camp, but he wanted to see how the Southern girl was faring. He liked her spunk since day one.

It just so happened that his curiosity was fueled when a thought slipped during one of their meetings earlier today. He, as an amazing, responsible, mindreading alice wielder, caught that _very _brief thought. Like, blink-and-you'll-never-catch-it kind of thought. And the voice of the thought came from someone he really knows: King Natsume Hyuuga.

His grin widened when he spotted the woman. She was in her white nurse's uniform, hair tucked in a low bun with her white nurse's cap, a clipboard on one hand, the other ruffling the hair of a young boy.

"She looks like she's adjusted," Koko thought to himself. What better time to approach her than now?

"Hello there!" Mikan almost dropped her clipboard when she heard the voice. She knows that voice pretty well. It was the first voice she heard when she entered the North.

Koko literally felt her alice being activated. He didn't let that stop him from grinning, though. He's starting to see why this girl is ruffling the king's feathers…albeit unconsciously.

She looked up to see the handsome face of the soldier. "Good morning, General."

"Ah, nonsense! Koko is just fine," he laughed. "How are you adjusting to life here? Is it very different from the South?"

Mikan smiled at Koko but eyed his soldiers warily. "Hotaru has been helping me adjust, teaching me North customs I should know," she told him, clutching her clipboard closer to her chest. "And, yes, it's way different here than in the South. Aren't you here for the check up? Please follow me."

Koko hummed as he and his soldiers followed Mikan towards the room designated for the soldiers' checkup. "Different, you say? How so?"

"Well," Mikan started as they wove through the small crowd in the hospital's lobby, stopping when they let a stretcher pushed by a team of nurses and a doctor pass, "I've told Hotaru this many times, but the North is unnecessarily cold. I mean, it's almost summer and it's still freezing. I'm still not used to wearing long-sleeved shirts every day."

The general chuckled at that, and even some of his men snorted. "And what about the South? How was it there?"

Mikan looked down at the white tiles of the hospital floor, feeling herself smile wistfully. "The South is the exact opposite of the North. It's unnecessarily hot there. And in our village, it's kind of like the custom to wear dresses. Especially those long dresses with flowy skirts—unless we're at work, of course."

"Ah," Koko started. "That ridiculously thin dress from when you entered North?"

"It was my every day clothes, yes," Mikan confirmed.

They waited as Mikan pushed open the door, ushering them in as the other nurses started to tend to the soldiers' medical needs. Mikan asked Koko to sit down and draw up his sleeve before tying a tourniquet around his upper arm.

"I'm going to draw a bit of your blood."

Koko nodded and looked behind Mikan instead. He saw one of his soldiers, Hoshino Hoshio, staring at Mikan's backside. He stared at the man until Hoshino's also met his. Koko raised his brows in a challenging manner, the younger man looked away in respect of his superior.

Huh. Koko swore he's going to keep his eyes on his soldiers. This Mikan Sakura girl is a prey for these men. And to him, Mikan is now his favorite person because she's the first person to make Natsume's thoughts slip—that and because Mikan is cute. He felt the sudden urge to protect her, like one would normally do to a puppy.

Mikan stood up straight after drawing the general's blood. She raised her eyes when she heard him call her name. "Yes?"

"Don't approach any of my soldiers."

The brunette looked at him quizzically. "What? Why?"

"It's about time we give the entire military force a talk about controlling themselves again."

"What—Pray forgive me, sir, but I don't understand."

Koko let a sigh escape his lips. He leaned near her ear and whispered, "I've known my men since they were cadets, Mikan, but I don't really know them personally. I don't trust them around unsuspecting, pretty women, Mikan. So, I suggest you don't trust them, too."

* * *

**REVIEWS!**

_DalagamPilipinye: thank u sizmarz!_

_newroz: thank you! I hope you liked this chapter ^_^_

_SunBabyBoss: thank you so much! Be prepared for the upcoming chapters!_

_ : hello! Thank you for saying this is a gem. It really means so much to me! ^_^_

_sabog: thank you sooooooo much!_

_EchizenRyoma: yea I initially made this with Mikan being a commoner in mind. Until now I consider her as one even though she literally befriended almost all of King Natsume's council members. She's pretty ordinary seeing as she's just your regular nurse, but to the Northerners, Mikan is someone they consider as an "exotic" beauty because she's from the South._

_Etoile Polaire: thank you so much! I'm not really good at writing the character of Natsume in the manga, so I decided to put a bit of my spice in his character, while still managing to make him stay the same Natsume we know. As for Ruka, I made him like that because he's my favorite and I love him and I think we all deserve a friend like Ruka ^_^_

_Oemjee: "definitely," he says. But look at him getting a hard on just by thinking about her HAHAHAHAHAHA_

_Elimina Alice: thank you so so so so so so much!_


	6. Claim

**A/N: RATED M AGAIN, GUYS. BLOOD EVERYWHERE.**

**TRIGGER WARNINGS: PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THIS CHAPTER. I'M SORRy**

**KING**

"If you need anything, Mikan, be it help or just random things, you can call me. I have the mind reading alice, so you can just call onto me. But, you see, I wear alice restraining devices," Koko pointed to the earring on his left ear and the gold band around his right wrist. "I'd hear it if you call hard enough, though."

Looking at Koko's eyes after what he said, Mikan decided to just nod even though she didn't really understand. The general doesn't even trust his own men? How could that be? Mikan shook her head and decided to just focus on her work for the mean time. She went in and out of the room, fetching what the doctors asked her to get. She tried to mingle with the soldiers a bit, going as far as holding the hand of that one soldier who almost fainted because he was afraid of needles.

Time went by and it was already half past six in the evening. The soldiers have lined up, ready to leave, and the doctors and nurses were gathering the materials and sorting those that needed to be thrown. The soldiers said their last greetings and left.

Mikan was also ready to leave. She still has to prepare for her rounds with Dr. Shizune Yamanouchi tonight before she clocks out.

"Nurse Mikan? A moment please."

"Yes?" She whipped her head towards the left and saw Dr. Tonouchi Akira. Mikan was so used at seeing this doctor goofing around that she wasn't sure how to react to him looking so troubled.

The older doctor rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "I know you have rounds with Dr. Yamanouchi, but can I ask you a favor?"

It was then when Mikan noticed the steel clipboard he was holding. "What is it, Doctor?"

"I was wondering if you could give this to Dr. Kaname Sonoh in the Anesthesiology Unit? I was paged by the orthopedics team just a minute ago, and I don't think I can deliver this to Kaname on time."

"Oh! Sure, it's no problem." Mikan beamed as she took the clipboard. "Dr. Kaname Sonoh. Anesthesiology, you say? Anesthesiology is in the east wing, right?"

Dr. Akira released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Yes, east wing. But I think Kaname would be in the third floor now. Thank you so much, Nurse Mikan! I owe you one!"

The doctor was about to say more but his beeper rang again. Mikan shooed him away and promised she would get the file to Dr. Sonoh. She immediately went on her way, greeting every doctor, nurse, and patient she comes across. It was like she was in her own world that she didn't notice there was already someone beside her. She jumped in surprise when she felt a hand touch her back, looking up and seeing one of Koko's soldiers.

The man smiled and greeted, "Hello, I'm 1st Lieutenant Hoshino Hoshio."

"I'm," Mikan's breathing hitched as his hand started inching lower. "I'm Mikan Sakura."

Hoshino's smirk grew wider, "Well, Nurse Sakura, why don't we get acquainted better?"

Mikan never really knew what happened next. Perhaps it was because of sheer nervousness, or maybe it was because she wasn't being extra careful, but the next thing she knows she's already in a cramped room with Hoshino Hoshio looking over her.

-;-

Mikan cried out when Hoshino's hands found their way into her hair, ripping the tie that held it into a bun.

"Please, stop," she pleaded as he pushed her uniform skirt upwards, forcing her legs to open. He unbuttoned her uniform quickly, tearing her camisole and pushing the cup of her bra down. He rolled and picked her nipple between his calloused fingers. A grunt of pleasure came from his chest.

"Stop!" Mikan cried out, her tears unstoppable now.

He didn't respond, except to push his hips into her. The object of desire evident in his pants.

"Please, don't," Mikan begged again.

The man only chuckled. His hands left her breasts, but they were now skimming along her legs. Mikan couldn't even blink when Hoshino swiftly tore her stockings open. She tried kicking. She tried scratching him. But the man was twice her size, just used one hand to hold her wrists, and used the other to spread her legs open. She couldn't anymore control her screams as she felt his hand near her womanhood. He pushed her underwear to the side and forcefully pushed a finger inside of her.

Mikan had no other choice. She had to put her defenses down. She deactivated her alice and called Koko for help.

-;-

Koko was in the lobby, waiting for one of his Lieutenants. He was about to look at his watch for the nth time when he heard Mikan's voice calling for him.

"_Koko!"_

"Mikan?" he called in his head, pushing his thoughts into hers. "Where are you?"

All he heard was a cry from her before he saw what she was seeing. She was in a janitor's closet, judging from the boxes and the equipment used for cleaning. But what really had his blood boiling was the face of his Lieutenant. Hoshino Hoshio was assaulting her.

"Mikan!" He called louder, motioning for the soldiers behind him to come nearer. "Tell me where you are exactly."

He heard her pleading and her gasps. He heard her anguished screams.

The soldiers, noticing their General's clenched fists, and the glassy look in his eyes, stood straighter and waited for commands.

"_Third floor."_ Finally came Mikan's reply. _"East wing."_

Without further ado, Koko faced his soldiers. "Anyone with the teleportation alice, step forward. Now!"

Three men quickly moved forward, activating their alices.

"East wing. Third floor." Koko instructed the teleportation alice wielders, the three nodded. "I need five people with us."

And without looking, he stepped into the whirlpool.

-;-

Mikan's screams didn't make the man falter. Instead, it was as if it fueled his actions more. The finger inside of her moved in and out faster, he leaned down and let his lips claim one of her pink peaks.

She closed her eyes and cried louder, calling out for Koko to come to her aid.

And just as she thought that, the locked door of the janitor's closet was forcefully opened with just one kick from the blond General.

Mikan couldn't even blink as Hoshino was pushed away from her and restrained by his fellow soldiers. Mikan couldn't even blink as she was covered by a nurse with some hospital blanket. She could only cry silently now as the events came flashing to her.

There was a silent commotion on the hallway now. A few nurses and doctors were prepared to give the first aid, just in case, but Mikan doesn't want any of that. She wanted her friend. She wanted Hotaru beside her now.

"Call Dr. Nogi and report what happened. Call Hotaru Imai. Inform the king. Tell them I'm calling them for an emergency meeting. I shall be in the castle in a few minutes."

Mikan only let her tears fall as Koko crouched down to look at her. "It's over now, Mikan. You're safe now."

-;-

Hotaru was in the king's office, discussing with him the reports of their joint business when his office phone rang. He picked up the receiver and listened to the other line.

At the same time, her phone decided to buzz. She swiped her finger across the screen and held the device to her ear.

"Imai."

"Miss Imai," an unknown voice said, panicked. "General Yome said to inform you that he will hold an emergency meeting with you in the castle. He will be there in a few minutes."

A nerve in her temple ticked. "Tell you general to shove his meeting up his ass—"

"It's about Miss Mikan Sakura!"

At that, Hotaru sat up straighter. "What about Mikan?"

"Hotaru."

She looked up and saw the king starting to stand, his jaw clenched as if stopping himself from punching something.

"Koko called for a meeting."

Natsume looked at the inventor and waited until she stood up. Once she did, he started marching towards the door, flinging it open so hard that Hotaru was sure it will detach from its hinges.

Someone reported to him that Mikan Sakura was assaulted. He usually kept his cool, but this time he let the world know that he was mad. No, he was more than that. He was livid. The man touched what was supposed to be only for the king.

Nobody gets away with that.

-;-

In a matter of moments, the castle's ballroom has turned into some sort of court room. The king was dressed formally, complete with his cloak and the sword that has been passed down unto him from his ancestors. Hoshino Hoshio now kneels before the king and his councilmen as his comrades watched. The Southern woman was still covered by one of the hospital's blankets and was being hugged by Hotaru Imai.

Mikan felt her assaulter's glare and inched more towards her friend.

King Natsume noticed her actions and directed his cold, crimson gaze towards the soldier.

"Which hand did you use to assault her?" His voice sharp and loud, making sure that everyone heard.

The man in question did not answer.

Natsume faced Mikan and directed his question to her. "Which hand did he use?"

Mikan blinked rapidly, all eyes on her now. She felt a fresh batch of tears prickling behind her eyes. "I… I was the one at fault, my king," she said, almost a whisper.

"Mikan?" Hotaru looked at her questioningly.

"General Yome told me not to talk to any of his solders," Mikan said frantically, squeezing Hotaru's arm. "I should've listened to him. I should have just avoided him. I wasn't supposed to—"

"HE ASSAULTED YOU!"

Mikan's eyes finally found the king's. And there it was again, the warmth that start from the roots of her hair, traveling downwards to the tips of her toes. The warmth that makes her want to smile giddily. But this was wrong. This wasn't the time.

"He assaulted you, and you think it's your fault?" Natsume's voice came out raspy, almost growling. "You might as well be dressed in a nun's clothing, and he would still _choose _to assault you!"

Mikan knew she was supposed to be afraid. She knew she was supposed to look away and fear for her life, but she only felt safe. The king's eyes comforted her. And she didn't expect his voice to come out as gentle when he said, "Now, tell me which hand he used, Mikan."

"H-his," she willed her lips not to tremble. "His left groped my breasts."

She felt Hotaru's hand squeeze her reassuringly. "His right was forced between my legs."

Natsume's face hardened. "His fingers penetrated you?"

A tear fell from Mikan's eye as she looked down. "Yes, sire."

"Imai, cover her eyes." Hotaru did as the king told.

"Hold out your hand, you bastard," the king commanded. Hoshino had no other choice but to obey.

In a swift motion, Natsume unsheathed his sword from his side and took one quick swing.

Hoshino screamed as blood spurted from where his hands once were.

King Natsume gave his solders one look, three of them stepped forward. Two took hold of Hoshino's arms and forced him to stand. The third pulled Hoshino's pants down, letting his member hang for all to see.

Natsume chuckled. "This puny thing is what you plan on using?" And without any more words, the king cut Hoshino's manhood.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Natsume's voice sliced across the room. The soldiers perspired as they felt the heat of their king's alice. They bowed their heads as a sign of their submission to him.

"A new rule will now be implemented," Natsume said as a scribe scrambled to open his laptop. "Any form of sexual assault is now punishable by death."

He glanced sideways and saw Hotaru still covering Mikan's eyes, this time Ruka was beside them, offering comforting words to Mikan. "And anyone who touches Mikan Sakura indecently will have to directly answer to me!"

The king's councilmen looked at one another. What is the meaning of this?

"And lastly, I, Natsume Hyuuga, King of the North, am stripping Hoshino Hoshio off his rank, and will be executed at the Capital's Plaza tonight. Let him be an example for all of you!"

"Long live King Natsume!" Koko yelled. A chorus of the phrase followed, the soldiers in attendance placing their right palm on their left chest in a salute.

Natsume handed his sword to another soldier as he made his way to Mikan and Hotaru.

"Bring her to one of the guest rooms. Attend to her needs."

The inventor bowed her head. "Yes, my king."

He watched as she whisked Mikan away from the commotion before facing his other councilmen. "I know what you are all thinking. We will discuss this when Hotaru gets back."

**A/N: OKAY SO HERE IT REALLY STARTS HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I'M SO SORRY THAT HAD TO HAPPEN BUT THIS IS THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF THAT WILL PUSH THE STORY PLOT FORWARD. AGAIN, I'M SO SORRY. ALSO, I'M SORRY FOR GHOSTING ON Y'ALL FOR 2 WEEKS. MY TEETH WERE ACHING SO BAD AND I HAD AN X-RAY DONE AND APPARENTLY I WOULD HAVE TO NEED SURGERY FOR MY WISDOM TOOTH. AIN'T THAT NICE... NOT. I FEEL LIKE I'M DYING.**

**REVIEWS!**

_BlossomCutie: thank you! here's an update for you! __

_lemonfactoryxx: i'm not leaving anyone bby! i'm back and imma finish this _ you will get more of Horny Natsume in the later chaps hahaha_

_DalagamPilipinye: malandi sila kasi malandi rin yung nagsulat sizmarz ahahahahahahahahahahahha_

_Embarr123: i love Koko too! fanon Koko and canon Koko may be different, but they're both very lovable uWu_

_esther__ meihong: hello hello! i hope this still interests you as the plot moves along _ this chapter was rather sloppy because of my damned wisdom tooth but i'll make it up to you guys with the next chapter __

_Oemjee: more sexual frustration for Natsume to come (pun may or may not be intended *wink wink*) hahahahaha_

_SunBabyBoss: I AM SO SORRY FOR DOING UR PURE HEART AND INTENTIONS AND CONCERNS DIRTY I HOPE YOU FORGIVE A SINNER LIKE ME_

_Boo: yes our thirsty boii just diiiiiiiiiid hahaahahaha_


	7. Prisoner

**KING**

_There had been a tale that first started as word of mouth before it spread throughout the vast lands of the North. It was a tale so familiar not only with the common folks, but also with nobles as it was a tale that held some of the kingdom's history. This tale has been believed to start just a few years following the disappearance of the dragons._

_The entire Hyuuga clan, said to be descendants of the dragons, were bestowed with the power of fire—the first alice wielders of fire. And along with this power came the responsibility of being able to tame it. The first member of the clan who mastered the alice was considered a hero even until this day. They said he rode horses with reins made of fire, brought cities down with rain of scorching flames, and let his enemies be swallowed by tongues of fire that he created. He was, then, granted kingship by the Fates. _

_It was believed that when a member of the Hyuuga clan is deemed worthy, they would tame the fire better than any clan member. It was told that they will be able to use the alice sevenfold than the normal fire wielder. And if that was the case, he shall be automatically crowned king._

_With such power held by the king, there is also a price for this blessed gift. Shall the current king be swallowed by greed, envy, and wrath, his reign shall seize as he is no longer serve as he is now deemed unfit for the role by the Fates. He will be stripped off his power and will be replaced by a member of the next generation._

_This blessing is usually expected to be bestowed upon the heir, no younger than eighteen. Though, there are very rare cases where the blessing has manifested in their younger years. These cases were supposed to be impossible, yet again we are corrected by the course of nature. Very rare cases in a sense that it might the citizens of the North once it occurs as it could mean that there was a tip in the balance, or it may be that the Fates suddenly deem the current holder unworthy. In all of the Northern history, this incident has only happened twice._

_The first was dated in the Year of the Rooster, when the blessing of the dragons manifested on the then sixteen-year-old girl, Suiren Hyuuga, daughter of the general of the Imperial Northern Courts, Akihito Hyuuga. And the last came one hundred and seventy years later, on the Year of the Ox. On this year, the blessing manifested on the fifteen-year-old Crown Prince Natsume Hyuuga, first born of King Ioran Hyuuga._

-;-

Mikan huffed out a breath as she set down the book about medicinal herbs that she has been reading for two days now. Before that, she was reading a book about gardening. And before that, she has been reading a book about Northern geography.

For two weeks, that was what she has been doing all day. Well, she also tries to learn how to embroider from the maid who gives her the food she eats, the bath she takes nightly, and the books she requests. But other than that, she rarely does anything. She's still in the castle. She wasn't allowed to go outside her room. Though, in all fairness, her room in the castle was probably bigger than the entire cozy home of Hotaru.

True, she has a big room. True, she can request for whatever she wants and they'd give it to her in a blink of an eye. True, she now wears those thin dresses that she likes because of the Southern girl in her. However, there was really this need—this yearning—for human contact aside from the maid that always cater to her whims. This actually felt like the time she spent in this exact castle's dungeon. It was just the… glorified version. It was just posher and more lavish, but it was a cell all the same. She has the huge bed with the canopy and the heavy cotton sheets, but it all felt the same. She's still caged in a four-sided room, with no possible escape.

There was a knock, followed by the sound of creaking. "Miss Mikan? It's time for your bath."

"It is?" Mikan blinked before looking at the window. The sun was already setting. "Ah, yes. Pray forgive me, I have been thinking of too many things these past few days."

The maid smiled. "Nothing that will be not understandable, Miss."

Mikan stood and turned around, waiting for the girl to help unbutton the beautiful silk dress she had been wearing. Mikan was sure this dress probably cost more than her month's paycheck as its beautiful flamingos were obviously painted by hand.

She let the dress fall smoothly before it was replaced by a cotton robe. This has become a routine for her and the girl who doesn't want to share her name to Mikan. They always fight about the bath. Mikan insists she doesn't need any help in bathing, but the girl insists she needs to help Mikan or else her employer would have her hands.

And by 'employer,' Mikan immediately knew it was the king. She decided to concede, then. She lets the girl massage her scalp, put oils in her warm bath water, and lets her braid her hair before she eats her dinner. They do this every night, for two weeks now, without fail.

Mikan was afraid she might get used to this.

She had to do something.

-;-

"Why do you even keep her here?" Hotaru fumed as she paced in front of a very tired-looking Natsume, while Ruka sat on the plush seat in front of the king's desk with his legs crossed. She and Ruka visited the king, in hopes of talking some sense into him that they needed to see Mikan. "I can take care of her and protect her in my home."

He knew that. He knew Hotaru was more than capable of keeping Mikan safe. Then why does he insist on keeping her here? He always tells his councilmen that he is offering protection to Miss Sakura because she is a powerful trump card against the South. He always tells them that Miss Sakura is an asset, an investment of the North in case war may happen.

Ah, well, fuck. He knows he was lying. His councilmen probably knew he was lying, too. Tobita Yuu, the head of Law and Justice was particularly good detecting lies. Natsume was sure Tobita was just saving up all of the lies he's told them, and then throw it at his face through his alice of illusion just to spite him.

The king stared down at the woman. She has the guts to barge inside his office, he commends her for that. He set down the pen he was using to correct clauses in contracts being offered to him. He contemplated for a moment if he was going to make up a pathetic excuse, like he always does when it involves that Southern girl, or just tell her and Ruka honestly. He chose the latter, albeit begrudgingly.

He opened his mouth to speak, to spout lies and deny whatever may be his reason, but closed it again. These people were his confidantes. He could trust them. And though he knew this, it took him a moment to say, "Heat."

Hotaru narrowed her eyes, "Excuse me?"

Natsume removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. He exhaled as if to tell them he doesn't really want to say it. "Whenever I see Mikan Sakura… I feel heat."

Ruka blinked once. Twice. "Jesus Christ, Natsume! You can't keep Mikan here just because you have the hots for her!"

"It's nothing like that!" Natsume bellowed, his eyes unfocused as if he, himself, doesn't know how to answer. "It's not like your typical worldly desires! Whenever I look at her, Ruka—into her eyes—there's this sensation that starts from my head, and it spreads out all over me. It's like my own alice is overheating inside of me."

Ruka cocked his head before meeting Hotaru's eyes. Hotaru raised her eyebrows as if to say, "I refuse to believe whatever comes out of your mouth next."

Ruka ignored her and announced, "Do you think you two are fated?"

Natsume uncharacteristically snorted. "You're spouting nonsense, Ruka."

The doctor shrugged both of his shoulders before standing from his seat. "Meh, I don't really believe in that either. But, Natsume, you see, if you keep on denying to yourself that you actually feel sexual tension between the two of you, you might get… you know."

The king eyed his best friend as he held Hotaru's hand and whispered calming words to her ear. The nerve on Natsume's temple ticked. "I might get what?" Natsume growled.

Hotaru looked at Ruka and her eyes widened partially in understanding. It was her turned to uncharacteristically scoff. "Blue balls, Sire. Dr. Nogi was saying you might get blue balls."

Natsume's jaw clenched and tried to rein his temper as to not set his paperwork aflame.

Ruka laughed and tried to appease the very angry king when he felt the temperature of the room suddenly spike up. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, but seriously, Natsume. I think all you need is to see her regularly so you would understand whatever is happening between the two of you."

Just as the words left the blond doctor's mouth, the wooden doors of the king's office were forcefully opened.

-;-

Mikan was heaving when she finally reached her destination. She had to knock her maid unconscious, and she feels terribly sorry about it, but she really had to have a _nice_, proper talk with the king.

The room was as spacious as the rest of the rooms here in the castle. The king has visitors. Said visitors were Hotaru and Ruka. However, the irritated brunette paid them no mind. She did feel the scorching temperature in the room, however. So, she did what she thought she had to do to make sure all of his attention will be on her.

She activated her alice and shouted, "That's it! I want out!"

Natsume's eyes widened in alarm. She was nullifying his alice. She was nullifying his alice as if it was nothing to her. Wait, what is she even doing here in the first place? "Miss Sakura, you were supposed to stay in your room!"

Mikan marched forward, holding her dress's long skirt, her bare feet smacking on the cold floor. "I have been doing that for two whole weeks, Your Grace. Now, I want out!"

The king rose to his full height and looked down on her short stature. Natsume can't help but notice that her appearance seems to be almost identical to when he first met her. The ridiculously long dress that was too thin to be even called acceptable in the Northern weather, her auburn hair that was secured in a braid, her flushed cheeks—Fucking hell, Natsume, get a grip!

"What did you say?"

Mikan huffed. "I said I don't want to be cooped up in that room anymore!"

"No."

"No?"

Natsume wanted to set something on fire. "I said, no"

Mikan made a noise that was something between a groan and a screech. She finally took notice of Hotaru in the room. She whipped her head back towards the king. She's ready to beg now. "Sire, I'm not asking you to let me go back to Hotaru. Just let me roam around, please!"

"And I said—" Natsume stopped midsentence and looked at her closely now. "You don't wish to leave?"

Mikan looked down, biting her lip unconsciously (an action that had Natsume kicking himself inside his head). "No, I don't, sire. But if you wish to let me go, then I will be your grateful subject."

Natsume placed his hands on his hips and sighed loudly. He looked a both Hotaru and Ruka who just stared at him because he was acting rather obviously different around Mikan.

Finally, he conceded. "I'm not going to allow you to leave, Mikan."

Mikan nodded, "I think I sort of understand why. But, Your Grace, I'm not a dainty vase that needed to be protected."

"I know you're not, but just think of what hap—" Ah, there it was. The elephant in the room. Natsume bit his tongue and scratched his temple. "I'm not going to allow you to step outside the palace grounds, Mikan."

The brunette made an indignant sound. "Sire, with all due respect, I am not your prisoner!"

"And I know you're not!" Natsume made the mistake of looking at her hazel eyes. There it was again. That sudden heat that spread all over his body. His voice was now gentle when he said, "You're not my prisoner anymore, Mikan, but I'm not risking it. You may roam around the castle if you wish, you may have full access to the library, you can talk to the head doctor of the castle's infirmary if you want to work… just don't leave."

Mikan felt like she would combust any moment now if she doesn't look away from his eyes. And yet for some reason she cannot look away. "Can I really do that? Can I really work?"

"Yes."

"I can work here?"

"If you talk to Nonoko nicely, yes, possibly."

Mikan cocked her head to the side and let her arms relax, letting go of her skirts. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it again. With her eyebrows scrunched together, Natsume could tell she was really thinking hard about something.

"What is it?"

"No, I… It's nothing."

"Just say it," Natsume demanded.

"The dresses… they're from you, aren't they?" Mikan whispered, her cheeks had a faint dusting of blush.

The king cleared his throat, obviously not prepared for that question. "Yes. I heard you prefer to wear them as the Northern clothing was too heavy for you. Though, I don't understand why you're still not freezing with how thin those dresses were."

Mikan wanted to cry. She had a hunch the dresses and the random things that come to her room were from the king, though hearing it come directly from him was different. She felt… warm.

"Thank you," she finally said in a quiet voice. "And… I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just really didn't want to be cooped up in that room anymore. It was just so tiring having to eat all by myself every day."

"Then, if you think it's sad to eat alone, would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

What? The king? Asking her to join him dinner?

"Do you feel lonely, too?" The words came out without her even thinking about it.

Natsume fought hard not to smile. "In some ways, yes."

"Then, I guess I can join you for dinner," she said with a shrug. She turned around to leave, not forgetting to send Hotaru and Ruka a wave. She was afraid she would be overstepping her bounds if she goes to them in the presence of the king. She had a bit of difficulty closing the oakwood doors of the king's office but she managed.

Natsume didn't even notice he was smiling until he heard a low whistle from Ruka.

"So… dinner, huh?"

The king groaned, almost boyishly. "Not one word, Ruka. Not one word."

He says that but everyone who were left in that office knew he was actually very excited.

* * *

**A/N: HENLOOOOO LOVELIES! HERE I AM AGAIN WITH A LATE UPDATE HUEHUEHUEHUE AND THIS TIME MY EXCUSE WOULD BE BECAUSE OF THE SENATORIAL ELECTIONS HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES XD I WENT AND HAD A MINI CAMPAIGN FOR MY SENATORIAL BETS, BUT SADLY, THE ELECTIONS THIS YEAR APPEARS TO BE RIGGED (JUST LIKE HOW IT IS EVERY ELECTION HERE). MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO DESERVED THE SEATS WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THE TOP 12 BUT EHHHH SUCH IS LIFE AND I WOULD TO ENDURE ANOTHER 3 YEARS OF SHITTY PEOPLE RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT.**

**P.S. I TRIED TO NOT MAKE THIS CHAPTER LOOK RUSHED BUT I WAS LITERALLY OUT OF TIME SOOOOO ^_^ BUT I MEAN LOOK AT MY KIDS FINALLY PROGRESSING. THEY'RE GONNA HAVE DINNER!**

_Reviews!_

_Monkey L Rachel: hello thank you! ^_^_

_Guest: henlooo welcome back! Yeah I'm sorry about the typos. Usually after I'm done with encoding it, I'd immediately update without even checking sometimes so yeahhh. Also, about the longer chapters, I actually try to limit myself to 2500 words every chapter because I think I would overwork myself if I exceed that, but no worries! As the plot unfolds, I'd try to write longer ones. I really love you guys who would tell me that I've made typos because I really can't be bothered to recheck XD_

_lemonfactoryxx: natsume finds courage to ask mikan to join him for dinner yaaaaaas_

_layliaman98: oh no bby noooo mikan is nobody's property okay? It's just that our boii thinks he feels something about her that he tends to become possessive but that's not really the case okay? There's no ownership here okay? Love u! :*_

_Icy: halluuuuuu yes yes while it's true that she didn't call koko immediately because of shock, it was also based on my understanding (or so I think I understood) that mikan was usually someone who would do things on her own without wanting to inconvenience others. When she realized that she really can't win against hoshino as he was someone who was twice her size and had used his military training against her, she decided it was time to call koko._

_Lev94: hello hello! Thank you so muchhhhhhh ^_^ in this chapter, as you can see, natsume decides to address the sexual tension… in front of his friends mwahahahaha_

_Oemjee: hey hey heyyyyy this chapter is more on the mellow side I hope you like it ^_^_

_EchizenRyoma: nobody really got to her first. But yes what happened was unfortunate. Now, here is a rather different side of natsume for you all ^_^_

_DalagamPilipinye: sizmarz ayan na pampalubag loob ko sa inyo hahahahaah_

_SunBabyBoss: thank you! Yeah I admit natsume's very kingly way of gving out punishment was inspired by a teeny tiny bit of khal drogo right ther xD_

_Natsumemikan123: natsume last chapter was the natsume that all of his people actually see. Stiff, merciless, and very protective of his people. The natsume in this chapter is the kind of natsume y'all will start to see with his interactions with mikan ^_^_

_esther meihong: heyyyy this chapter is, again, admittedly rushed because I have been running around the entire city this weekend but I do hope this gives you butterflies as much as it did me… well at least in my head ^_^_

_Boo: guuuuurl throw hands! Hoshino needs em because he got none now hahahahaha_


	8. Dining With the King

**NOTE: THIS HAS BEEN PUBLISHED AS SOON AS I WAS DONE TYPING IT. NO BETA READING HAS HAPPENED, THEREFORE, EXPECT TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. ALSO, I MISSED YOU GUYS. ENJOY :)**

**KING**

The hand that caressed her naked back made her shiver. Her body tucked tightly beside him, her head on his chest, her hair splayed on the pillow, his arms around her—it was everything Nobara couldn't have ever imagined she would experience. The rise and fall of Persona's chest signify he's still asleep, and she couldn't help but smile.

She closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep, but sudden images filled her head. Memories of her village being invaded, her friends crying, the elderly being chained, the children being ripped away from their mothers' skirts, and the blood… there was so much blood!

Nobara's eyes flew open and she quickly sat up. Her breathing harsh and rapid, her heart beating so hard, cold sweat started to form on her temples. It wasn't her fault! Her village should have pledged allegiance to the South's king immediately when he demanded it! If they did, then this wouldn't have happened!

Their alices are assets to their kingdom! The king had every right to demand for them!

It's not her fault!

She breathed slowly, and when she finally calmed down, she laid once more. Her head on the king's chest, hearing the rhythm of his heartbeat made her close her eyes.

It was not Nobara's fault.

-;-

"Why do we need to dress me up again?" Mikan tried hard not to make a face when the new maid helping her dress just looked at her through the mirror for the nth time, not answering any of her questions.

She felt really bad because the other woman who always helped her dress was still unconscious from her shenanigans earlier. But, still, the end justified the means. After all, she is now allowed to leave her room!

Though her hair was still in the braid she wore earlier, her comfortable dress was replaced by a very, _very _uncomfortable one. The fabric was thick and itchy, but it only reached her knees. There were so many layers and there were ribbons beneath that had to be tied to keep it in place. Mikan observed the quick hands that tied the strings swiftly, sucking in her stomach when the maid told her to (and then regretting it after because it was so tight, she doubts she would be able to eat dinner properly).

Mikan sighed loudly, "Why do I need to dress up when it's just dinner?"

This one made the maid glare at her and finally snap, "_Dinner? _Did you say it's _just _dinner?! You are about to dine with the king! The _king _of the North! I don't know how you even managed to get close to the king, but listen here, _foreigner,_" there was so much venom in that word that Mikan had to cringe. "You don't deserve to be here. You don't deserve all these things from the North. You don't deserve to talk to the king. You don't deserve to even just _look _at the king! Just go back to the South where you belong!"

Mikan's eyes narrowed and was about to snap herself, when she noticed _the "_king of the North" inside her room, beside the ridiculous canopy bed. She noticed he still looked dashing in his suit, though this one was different from earlier which was more for formal and business purposes. Her eyes raked over him from his leather shoes, to his crossed arms, and to his face that was drawn in a smirk. Ugh, good gods, His Majesty knew she was checking him out!

When her eyes met his, though, she had to raise an eyebrow and stop herself from smirking. His Majesty heard everything. Huh. She's too tired for petty, racist, king fanatics. Mikan stepped back from the furious maid and crossed her arms. And Natsume took that as a cue to speak.

"The foreigner you speak of is under the orders of your _king _to reside here in the North."

The maid jumped, startled. Her eyes flicked from Natsume, to Mikan, not knowing what to say. "Y-Your Grace…"

Natsume stood straighter, inserting his hands into his pockets. He looked aloof and arrogant to Mikan, but the maid saw a different picture. He was intimidating, his alice seemingly affecting only her, and his eyes sharp as if it was ready to slice off her tongue.

"It was from direct orders the she will reside here in my residence. I believe I made sure to tell everyone that Mikan Sakura is my guest, and she shall be treated as one. I expected my staff to just do my bidding, without any questions, and without them talking to, or, in your case, yelling at my guest. Any form of disrespect to my guest is also an act done to me." Natsume's eyes ruby orbs glowed brighter that even Mikan felt herself shiver. "So, you will choose. Either you quit, or I cut off your tongue for disrespecting me."

The girl now had tears in her eyes, but she still managed to send a glare to Mikan before she fled from the room.

The brunette raised a brow in question, and gestured to the undone cloth around her waist. "Now look what you've done. I have no one to tie this for me now!" She exclaimed in sarcasm.

Natsume just chuckled, grabbing the smooth fabric and pulling a surprised Mikan lightly towards him. With careful hands, he started to tie it more meticulously than the young maid had. It was so embarrassing that she had nowhere to look but at his broad chest. She was so sure her face was so red when he was done. Whether he noticed it or not, Mikan didn't know. When he did a final tug on the fabric, he sighed and offered his arm.

"You don't need to dress up and do your hair, you know? It's just dinner for the two of us."

Mikan blinked up at the fire-caster and waited a beat before the laugh came out of her. She took the arm he was offering and merrily replied, "That's what I've been telling her!"

And with her still wearing her bedroom slippers, he led her outside her room and went to get their dinner.

-;-

Dinner was… uneventful.

And to be fair, it really was just a simple dinner… for the king. It was a fucking feast for Mikan! And now she felt bad for wearing her bedroom slippers. If she would have known, then she shouldn't have worn the goddamn bedroom slippers!

She remembers being ushered by the king towards the dining room. But it wasn't so much a room as it was a hall! She can't even imagine how her face looked when she realized she and King Natsume were seated on the two opposite ends of the _long _table.

Mikan swears she might have given herself a whiplash with how fast her head turned whenever a new dish was being placed in front of her. She tried to count how many dishes were being served, but she stopped after fifteen. Her eyes bulged, and she was sure her nostrils flared because of how delicious the food looked and smelled. She nothing of a glutton, but she did have a big appetite and she was grateful for the meal. However, she was sure all of these were too much for just the two of them.

It was then when dessert arrived that she finally woke up from her stupor and decided to chat with the king, because His Majesty _does not _talk when he's eating. Mikan respects that, but the king invited her to this fancy dinner so she supposes she have the rights to demand small talk.

As soon as she swallowed a berry, she daintily cleared her throat. However, seeing as she is so far away from the king, he did not hear her. Mikan tried again after placing a pistachio nut in her mouth, but all that happened was her almost choking on it. She reached for the glass of water before she finally swallowed her pride and manners, and coughed as loudly as she can.

Natsume looked up in concern when he heard Mikan cough loudly. "Are you alright? Did you choke on something?"

He watched as Mikan sipped her water. His eye twitched, and Natsume swore he never wanted to kick himself as much as he did in that moment.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but when you said casual dinner, I didn't expect…" Mikan gestured to the entirety of the room, the ridiculous table, and the feast in front of them. "_This_."

Natsume blinked, confused. "What did you expect, then?"

"I don't know," Mikan shrugged, racking her brain for an answer that will not insult the king's efforts. "Maybe something… smaller? More… casual, I suppose?"

Natsume studied her small form, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, "Miss Sakura, if this is about your bedroom slippers—"

"No!" Mikan exclaimed so fast she swears she saw the king fight off a smirk. "No, Sire, this is not about my bedroom slippers, I assure you. It's just that… all of _these _felt more of a feast rather than a casual dinner. I mean, I don't mean to offend, but if you haven't noticed I'm a commoner."

The king reached for his wine as he nodded for Mikan to continue.

"Our casual dinners do not include these long tables, or… or countless of dishes prepared by chefs." Mikan bit her lower lip and lowered her head. "I'm not saying we should cook our own food next time, but, Sire, for a commoner like me, all of these were too fancy to just be casual."

Natsume savored the wine, the berries, the words Mikan had just said, and that really bothersome lip biting she just did. He was sure he heard her say 'next time.' Did that mean she wasn't so repulsed of the idea of them eating together once more? Damn this table for being too long! He knew he should've just prepared a smaller one. But now, he needed to gather his wits quickly. She was already looking at him with those big, troublesome eyes of hers. Well, troublesome for _him. _Whenever she looked at him like that, there's nothing Natsume can really do anymore. He just… immediately caves.

"Then," Natsume started, sitting back and relaxing, his shoulders dropping as he looked at her as much as he can. "Perhaps, next time you could teach me how to navigate the kitchen?"

Mikan blinked. "Are you saying… I should teach you how to cook?"

The king nodded.

"Like, cook our own food? The food that we will eat for dinner? Next time?"

Natsume had to bite his own tongue to stop himself from smiling wide. Damn, she's cute when she's excited. "Yes. You seem so adamant to have the most casual dinner that I have yet to experience."

The brunette immediately set down her glass of water and sat up straighter in excitement. "Okay, I'm not the best cook, but my dad was and he taught me this dish that he considered his specialty and—"

Natsume enjoyed listening to Mikan as she rabled on about stories of her family and hometown. He is yet to confirm the reason behind the warmth he feels whenever he's with her. All he knows is that it's a rather nice feeling. He is not against it. However, if it really is physical attraction as Ruka so brashly implied, then it will take him a long time before he figures if that was the truth or not. Mikan was assaulted, and that is enough reason for him to stop thinking of anything that includes him, her, and any flat surface that might be suitable for any lewd activities that his mind conjures.

Their dinner started at seven in the evening, and ended at ten. He took it upon himself the liberty of dropping her off to her room, but when they arrived there, they both decided that a cup of tea would be nice before they head to bed. He had someone fetch them the tea and Mikan invited him to step inside her room as it was "technically his room."

They chatted some more about the most random things that Mikan might think of, answering all her queries, and teaching her more about the Northern traditions that Hotaru had not taught Mikan much about.

Natsume decided to leave at about midnight when Mikan finally gave her first yawn. He reminded her of her limitations in the castle, too which she snorted and laughed, but also wished her sweet dreams. He had called for another maid to help her out of her robes before he finally left for his chambers.

The king was finally dressed for bed and was already staring at the ceiling when he realized that, ah, his cheeks were aching. So, he reached up and realized that maybe Mikan Sakura really was fated to come to the North. Afterall, she was the only one to make him smile for the first time in years.

* * *

**A/N: HENLOOOOOO! I AM BACK, AND I AM BACK WITH MORE FLUFF! I'M SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN, LIKE, MORE THAN A MONTH. BUT LISTEN GUYS, I WAS ACCEPTED IN THIS INTERNSHIP I APPLED TO AND IT WAS HECTIC AS HELL. IT WAS FUN AND KINDA FULFILLING, BUT IT WAS HEEEECTIIIIC! THEN I HAD MIDTERMS EXAMS THAT CLASHED WITH MY COUSIN'S WEDDING'S SCHEDULE SO I REALLY HAD NO TIME TO FINISH WRITING THIS CHAPTER. BUT, HEY, ON THE GOOD SIDE, I'M STILL ALIVE, I DELIVERED THIS CHAPTER TO YOU, AND I HAVE SO MUCH MORE INFORMATION IN STORE FOR YOU!**

**P.S. I was also kiiiiiindaaa tryna date too sooooo yeahhhh**

_REVIEWS!_

_Tiffany19: hey sweetie! I'm here don't worry I'm not abandoning you guys. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did scrapping ideas after ideas for this one. Love u!_

_Haruhi-chan-131: hey! I see you have consecutive reviews . you don't know how much your comments made me smile and wriggle like an earthworm because you're just soooo very expressive and I love it!_

_AmberMcClain: hello! Thank you for your nice words ^_^ but lemme explain the dragon thing to you… yeah so uhm basically it was a Northern "legend" that explains Natsume's lineage and the ability of his power. I remember writing that the one Hyuuga who has received the so-called blessing had sevenfold the pyrokinetic power of a normal Hyuuga. And that whoever has the "blessing" is proclaimed as their one, true ruler, therefore being crowned as the North's king (or queen, in the case of my OC, Suiren). The blessing can be passed down from parent to child, but in some rare cases, the blessing is forcefully removed by the Dragons from the current holder and transferred to a different family member. Which is what happened to (again, my OC) Suiren, and Natsume._

_Silent Reader: oh hunty lemme tell you, that is the only great thing our country's president has done in his entire career! I'm not saying he's nothing but a tyrant-wannabe, but that's exactly what I'm saying. Ghad my little college girl heart is about to burst of how much I hate him ugh!_

_Guest: dinner is served! Ahahaha_

_Embarr123: here is the new chapter! Thank you for being patient ^_^_

_Guest: the baka gun is in the museum ahahaha_

_Lemonfactoryxx: sexual tension and flirty banters yassssss_

_DalagamPilipinye: siz it's okay! Basta alam natin na walang kwenta yung iba so we ready for the next elections __)))_

_Thefourthcharm: thank you so much! I hope you still get to enjoy this even tho I'm kinda planning for them to play a bit hooky ahahahaha_

_EchizenRyoma: happily ever after? Ahahahahahaha I hope so too bby!_

_Boo: thank youuuuuu! :*_

_SunBabyBoss: welp I think this one will feel rushed enough hahahahaa I'm so sorry for the wait!_

_Oemjee: blue balls will be gone soon hahaha in like maybe six chapters? Hahahaha_

_Layliaman98: *catching all the kisses because I need some love* thank you bby! And yes, I do love me some boyish Natsume!_

_Pinketeer: Mikan is our unbothered kween!_

_Bellavokale: hey bby! You're so sweet! Here is an update for you and I hope you enjoy it ^_^_

_Esther meihong: I'm soooooo sorry this is so late! Please don't be mad huhuhuhu also, imma just clarify that Mikan and Natsume knows Ruka and Hotaru are in the room. They're just too busy feeling the… heat. if ya know what I mean ahahaha_


	9. Youichi

**KING**

The following day after her dinner with the king, she immediately wrote up her resume and went to find a certain Dr. Nonoko Ogasawara. She was escorted towards the medical wing of the palace and was then welcomed by a woman with jet black, pin-straight hair, who looked like she was just Mikan's age. The woman wore a very timid smile and quietly asked for her resume. Mikan gave a million thanks to the king in her mind. He really kept his promise!

They already started with the interview, asking Mikan where she found her passion for nursing, and then followed by trivial questions that the brunette actually found friendly. They conversed like they were just friends catching up, and it wasn't until the middle of Mikan's story about her mother when the woman suddenly exclaimed that she hasn't introduced herself yet.

"Oh, goodness me!" The woman quickly retrieved her white coat and wore it. "I'm not usually like this, I promise. I just got excited when I heard the king sent in a referral since he rarely pays a visit to the medical wing. I'm Nonoko Ogasawara, the head doctor of the castle's medical staff. King Natsume has referred you to me."

Mikan couldn't hide her surprise as her eyes widened in shock and her lips parted and closed, almost akin to a fish. "But you're so young! I mean, no offense."

The young doctor merely giggled. "Yes, uhm, I've been told I was one of the smarted kids in my town, but I never really knew it was such a big deal until I was offered a scholarship by the department of education when I was fifteen."

"When did you graduate med school?" Mikan asked, shaking in her seat like an overly excited puppy. It was just so fascinating for her, that someone her age is actually such a distinguished doctor.

Nonoko bit her lip and looked down, her cheeks reddening in shyness. "Just three years ago. I'm still fairly new so I don't know if I really deserve my position."

"Nonsense! Of course, you do!"

The doctor's cheeks warmed. She bowed her head in hopes of hiding the reddened color of her face. "You're too kind."

"Kind? Doctor, it's the truth!"

There was a pregnant pause after Mikan's exclamation. After a moment, Nonoko laughed quietly and shook her head.

"You may just call me 'Nonoko,' Nurse Mikan." The raven stood up and extended a hand.

Mikan beamed as she shook hands. "You may also just call me 'Mikan.'"

And just like that, Mikan's first twenty-four-hour shift will start tomorrow at eight.

-;-

It has been two weeks since Mikan was employed as a medical staff at the palace. And since she's now officially, and technically, King Natsume's employee, she requested to be transferred to the employees' quarters near the medical wing, just like where the other medical staffs were residing. King Natsume, however, declined. He never really gave an alibi, and just told her that she will remain in the room where she is currently staying.

They have dinner together whenever Natsume finds time, and their conversations are ever so indulgent. They have little debates about whether or not the smaller forks are necessary in their now-simple dinner. They sometimes fight over potatoes. Natsume would insist that Mikan did not need to wash the dishes, but the latter would pretend not to hear him. In that case, the king would just sit back and sip on the tea Mikan brewed for him and watch as she washed and rinsed the glassware and utensils. Mikan would then pretend that he wasn't staring at the back of her neck, and will herself not to turn red.

By now, it wasn't only the handmaids and the kitchen staff who were noticing the sudden changes in the king's aura. Before, he was all intense heat. Come inside his ten-meter radius and you will feel the burning sensation that may singe the small hairs on your skin. But now… now you will notice the light step in his walk. The small, yet questionable smile on his lips. The humming that may occur every time he was on his way to attend his casual dinners with Miss Mikan.

It was almost worrisome that he hasn't burned anyone yet since Miss Mikan resided at the palace. Not that they wanted someone to get burned. It was just they weren't used to it. They weren't used to someone playfully bantering with the king, especially with his temper. They weren't used to anyone opposing him. They weren't used to _anyone _who could actually make him apologize. Yet here is this foreigner, Mikan Sakura.

_This Mikan woman from the South was actually doing him good._

The older staff smile wistfully whenever they hear her giggles in the kitchen. They sometimes peep as to see what was happening, only to see their king uncharacteristically so close to a woman, well, at least publicly, and whispering in her ear, touching her elbow or her lower back or her hip. And sometimes the touch lingers more than what was considered to only be friendly.

They thought it might stay that way for good. They thought Miss Mikan could never possibly be angry at the king again. But they have never really met a woman from the South, have they?

-;-

Third week into Mikan's employment, and she could never be better. She felt like she had the most productive month in all her career history. True, all her patients were palace employees, but the place was too big and the staff were too many.

She already made friends with some of the soldiers that she always sees on guard outside the medical wing, the young stable boy who liked to give her flowers whenever he comes back from school, the head chef who always cuts her fingers, and some others.

Out of all of them, Mikan could say that she had the most progress with Anna, the head chef. Anna is a cousin of Nonoko, therefore they always indulge Anna's cooking every lunch. Anna would sometimes joke that she rarely ever cooks the king's dinner now that Mikan was there, to which the latter would just blush and change the topic.

Mikan beamed, returning to present, when she heard the sound of running feet. The boy was running towards her, so she leaned down and spread her arms, catching the boy in time. The child laughed and buried his face on her shoulder. Who would have thought that this boy actually hated her when they first met?

Youichi Hijiri is the son of one of the king's trusted generals. He had no mother as she died due to reasons she wasn't comfortable in asking. Mikan understood and did her best to gain his trust. Now, the six-year-old doesn't want to be separated from her. The boy was actually quite talkative, telling her so many stories about his friends and classmates in the school he was attending. Sometimes he tells her about secret passageways on the palace walls, and now he made it as his own personal mission to look for all of them.

Youichi giggled as Mikan squeezed him in a tight hug. "Nurse Mikan! I have news for you!"

"Have you found another 'secret passageway' again?"

"Yes!" Youichi enthusiastically replied. "It was one near the pavilion, and it was so dusty, but I still went in! And it led me to a princess's room!"

Mikan acted shocked, smiling when she ruffled his hair. "A princess's room! My, what a surprise! Are you sure it wasn't just a random room? The palace's bedchambers all look like they could be a princess's room."

"I'm sure, Nurse Mikan!" Youichi insisted. "The princess told me, herself!"

"Really? What was Her Highness's name, then?" Mikan prodded.

"Promise me you will not tell anyone?"

"I promise," Mikan giggled.

"Even the king?"

"Nope," she shook her head. "Not even the king."

"Aoi!" Youichi grinned, "She said she is Princess Aoi, and that she can't see me."

-;-

Mikan carried on her usual duties when she dropped Youichi off to his father. She doesn't really want to think much of it, but the young boy's information about this blind girl was nagging at her. Perhaps she can ask Nonoko if she knows anything about it?

She smiled widely as she entered the infirmary. She quickly made her way into the storage to check inventory.

"How was your day, Nurse Mikan?" Nonoko asked with a smile, not bothering to look up from the chart she was studying. "Did that boy come running towards you again?"

Reaching the medicine room, the brunette giggled and shook her head. "Yes, he came to report to me that he found another one of his passageways."

Nonoko gave a small, fond laugh. "You know how energetic kids can be. It's really good news for us that he's starting to socialize again. Especially after his mother…"

Mikan paused from checking the inventory. "If you don't mind my asking… what really happened to Youichi's mother?"

Nonoko sighed and stood up from her chair. "After you hear this, please promise me you won't let You-chan know that you know."

Sensing the seriousness of the topic, Mikan stopped and faced the doctor.

Seeing that all the nurse's attention is on her, Nonoko leaned on the wall, swallowing thickly to find the words to say. "Youichi's mother was executed."

"I'm sorry?" Mikan stepped forward, not sure if she heard correctly.

"Youichi's mother was… executed." Nonoko rasped, as if it was a very painful memory. "I never really knew her personally, she had been Anna's colleague in the kitchens, but just imagine the pain her husband and her son had to go through."

Mikan ran her tongue on her bottom lip. "What… what crime did she commit?"

The doctor's eyes flicked towards the door, making sure no one was passing by. "She was a spy. She stole records of the royal family from the archives, but thankfully they were intercepted. She was executed at the Grand Plaza, where everyone, including her son, watched as she confessed to her sins before she was shot. She said she worked for the West; that she was instructed to infiltrate the North as a refugee, get as much information as she can; seduce one of the king's closest friends if needed. And she did just that. Got close to one of King Natsume's Royal Guards, General Hijiri was only a Colonel then, and seduced him. When they asked her if she regretted any of this… she said her only regret was loving an enemy, but never for the records and information she had almost provided for the West."

Noticing the brunette's discomfort, Nonoko decided to provide the last information, "This happened three years ago. So just imagine young Youichi witnessing the execution of his own mother, approved and signaled by his own father."

Mikan's hazel eyes can see the slight shaking of Nonoko's shoulders.

"Ever since then, Youichi has never really talked to his father. He had always looked up to the king, but after what happened, he made it his duty to ignore the king. After all, to the boy's eyes, our king was the one who ordered` his mother's death. And his father didn't even try to stop him." The doctor smiled. "General Hijiri has been miserable since then. Only focusing on work, giving so little time and affection for You-chan. And Youichi… I feel like he has been traumatized. He didn't even like us palace workers. His young mind couldn't comprehend why his mother betrayed the land that housed her and provided for her."

Nonoko chewed on her lip before looking at Mikan in the eyes. "I feel so bad for this, but we almost started to give up on him. He wouldn't trust any of us, wouldn't talk to any of us, wouldn't eat anything unless it was Anna who gives him his food. Annas is one of the people you just never could hate, even if you're a brooding emo-child. But then you came. And I'm telling you, Mikan, I've never been more grateful in my life. You're just… you're like sunshine!"

Mikan teared up but laughed. "You're making me blush!"

"I mean, look at the boy! He's exploring the palace on his own now. He talks to the gardeners, asking for flowers so he could give you some."

"Yes, and going to a 'Princess Aoi's' room." Mikan jested, but Nonoko froze.

"Mikan, promise me you would never say that name in the presence of King Natsume."

"What? Why?"

Nonoko grabbed her shoulders gently, but her hands were shaking. "Just promise me, please. If you don't want to lose both of our heads. You would never say that name—"

"So there really _is _a Princess Aoi?"

The two women didn't hear any footsteps. They did not hear the opening and closing of the door. The doctor was too busy panicking, and the nurse was too confused by the doctor's actions that they did not even feel his presence until they heard the growl in his voice.

"_How did you know that name?"_

* * *

**A/N: SURPRISE! (?) DEAR LORDE DON'T STONE ME TO DEATH! I REALLY HAVE A VALID EXCUSE/S FOR GOING MIA FOR NEARLY TWO/THREE MONTHS. OKAY, FIRST, COLLEGE IS SHIT AND SOME OF MY PROFESSORS ARE SHIT. TWO, I WAS HOSPITALIZED BECAUSE I HAVE CHRONIC BACK PAIN, AND WE JUST IDENTIFIED IT NOW AS AS HERNIATED DISC. APPARENTLY, I GOT IT FROM MY CHEER DANCER DAYS DURING HIGH SCHOOL WHEN I FELL AND I WASN'T CAUGHT ON TIME BY MY SPOTTERS.** **THREE, SIZ CLOWNED HERSELF BC HER 'RELATIONSHIP' DIDN'T LAST LOLZ I WAS MOURNING FOR MY LITTLE HEART. ****AND**** FOUR, MY LAPTOP IS FUCKED UP. IT WON'T COOPERATE WITH ME AND I'M GETTING HELLA FRUSTRATED. IT SERIOUSLY MAKES ME WANT TO RIP MY HAIR OUT! BUT HEY I'M HERE WITH THIS CHAPTER (WHICH IS BASICALLY JUST A FILLER CHAPTER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER) AND IT'S NOT BETA READ, SO EXPECT LOTS OF TYPOS BECAUSE THIS WAS WRITTEN WHILE I WAS ON SUGAR HIGH AND HIGH DOSE OF RED BULL (WHICH IS REALLY BAD BECAUSE I'M CAFFEINE INTOLERANT, BUT HEY A COLLEGE KID'S LIFE IS ALL ABOUT RISKS AND SHITTY LIFE DECISIONS).**

**I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU GUYS! :***

REVIEWS!

_DalagamPilipinye: YES SIZ BUHAY PA AKO! MAHAL KO RIN KAYO!_

_Tiffany19: thank you so much! i really, really appreciate long reviews like yours because it makes me feel like i'm able to converse with you guys. i hope you like this chapter as well! ^_^_

_IrohaUta: thank you so much! i hope you like this one even though it's just literally a filler chapter._

_ : you're one of my most loyal readers and i couldn't be more than happy to see that you would rush to read this as soon as you got the notification ^_^ your reviews are very fun to read because you basically tell me your theories as to what will happen next and it's really entertaining :D_

_mikan's slippers: your name is hella funny hahahhaha but i gotta admit that i think i got so fed up with serious Natsume that i wanted to see a boyish Natsume so i could share him with you guys haha_

_Natsumemikan123: ugh girl you're one of my readers whom i love so muchhhh you've been here since the beginning and i just gotta tell you that i appreciate you so much! _

_SunBabyBoss: hunny thank YOU for reading this story even though i miss my update schedule because i have so many things to do T.T but i do appreciate your little comments :*_

_layliaman98: the positivity in this comment is giving me all the UWUs! i'm gonna take all the kisses and love thrown my way so it could energize me to quickly write the next chapter :*_

_silent reader: thank you for reading this bby even though i always update **late **ugh i really want to just write so that i can keep on updating for you guys_

_newroz: thank you so much! i hope you enjoy this (filler) chapter this time too ^_^_

_Boo: gurl! I was back but not for long hahahaha and now i'm back again but i don't know when the next update will be huhuhuhuhu i do hope you will stay tuned tho! such drama in the next chapters ;)_


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